Revenge of the Dark: What Spirits Will
by DragonShadow
Summary: Costarring Juniper Lee. Danny Phantom is beginning to wonder if ghosts are truly alive, or if they are simply memories that must be put to rest. When the Te Xuan Ze comes to town to elminate the ghost race, he must choose whether to fight her, or let the
1. Chapter 1

Revenge of the Dark: What Spirits Will

14 years old and so much responsibility. He wasn't supposed to be doing this, spending his time fighting ghosts while his friends sat back to watch the latest monster movie marathon. Especially not right here in his basement where all of his father's precious ghost-hunting equipment would undoubtedly be trashed by the time it was over for the hundredth time since this whole ghost-kid thing started. Maybe it was time to try to find non-violent solutions to these problems.

"Violence is the answer!" The enraged brute of a ghost flung himself at Danny, massive claws springing forth from the backs of his hands. Danny whirled, his body flickering into intangibility as his attacker passed by, his hands beginning to glow with green ecto-energy.

"I'll be sure to take your advice into consideration." Danny smirked, throwing his hands forward as a wave of powerful green energy lashed out in front of him. It slammed into the ghost's chest, sending it hurtling back into the swirling vortex of the Fenton Portal. Danny smiled to himself as the energy vanished from his hands. "I'm getting too good at this. I'm barely breaking a sweat."

As if just to prove him wrong, a massive burst of energy lashed out from the Fenton Portal, wrapping around his body and dragging him back toward it. Danny screamed in surprise, suddenly finding himself floating in the Ghost Zone facing the burly ghost he'd just tossed in. "Note to self: Close the Fenton Portal, THEN gloat." He grunted and struggled against his energy bonds, swirling randomly through the void as the ghost floated closer to him.

"Nyehehehe." The ghost cackled, the blades on his hands sparkling with green ghost energy. "My blades haven't tasted blood in over twenty years. This will be fun."

"Do ghosts have blood?" Danny asked confusedly.

"I guess we'll find out." The ghost grinned and raised his arms over his head. Danny watched wide-eyed, unable to even phase through the energy field. The blades began to arc down toward him, but something slammed into him from the side, sending him hurtling through the empty space. A smaller, more slender form came to a stop, her fists up in front of her as her flowing dark green hair floated about her pale green face.

"Leave him alone, you bully!" the girl commanded. The burly ghost hurtled back, then stopped in mid-air, his blades glinting dully in the green light of the Ghost Zone.

"Nobody gets between me and my kill." The ghost sneered angrily and launched himself forward. The girl in the flowing dress stood her ground, moving her arms slowly out to the sides. Just before the burly ghost struck she flung herself downward, underneath his blades as her hands shifted into a pair of long swords, slashing upward in a pair of wide-arcs.

The burly ghost hurtled past her and came to a stop, but his arms didn't. They continued to float away into the Ghost Zone. "Y... you..."

"I always aim to disarm rather than kill." The girl quipped, turning to look back at him. "Now get lost, before I change my mind." The ghost growled darkly.

"You will both suffer for this." He whirled and vanished into the depths of the Ghost Zone.

The girl smirked and turned to look at Danny, giving him a good look at her for the first time. She was a beautiful girl who looked about as old as him, with hair that framed her face like a halo, and sparkling green eyes that looked like they were constantly glowing. As the blades on her hands faded back into the shape of hands, she took on the look of a beautiful princess, complete with a flowing dress and a prominent necklace hanging about her neck. "Are you okay?" The girl asked.

"Um, yeah." Danny struggled against the energy that bound him. "I'm fine. Hrgh... just gotta get some... HRRRGH! Leverage..." He panted. The ghost giggled and one arm swept out in blade-form, slicing through the energy and cutting him loose. Danny floated up from it, rubbing his arms. "Thanks... why did you help me?"

"What? Is a woman not allowed to help those in need?" The ghost huffed.

"No, of course a woman can! I just mean... ghosts tend to not like me." Danny replied.

"Yes well, some ghosts are too ungrateful for the eternity they have here to realize that this really is what's best for them." The girl turned slowly, her arm sweeping out across the vast existence of the Ghost Zone. "They don't remember how things used to be... but then, there aren't many ghosts left from those days."

"Those days?" Danny asked. The girl glanced at him, then shook her head.

"I'm sorry, I have been rude. I am Crystal." The girl held out her hand.

"Danny. Danny Phantom." Danny took her hand in a firm shake, a half-smile spreading across his face.

Crystal looked surprised. "The ghost-child. It is quite an unexpected honor to save you." Danny blushed deeply and put his hand on the back of his neck, stumbling over his tongue to explain what happened. She simply laughed and put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "I am sorry, I tease, nothing more. Tales of your deeds travel throughout the Ghost Zone, though it's difficult to separate fact from fiction. Perhaps you could help separate them for me."

"I'd love to." Danny smiled back. This woman seemed nice enough for a ghost, downright friendly actually. He'd known that not all ghosts were evil, but it was easy to forget that when they kept trying to kill you every other week. Well, not he could see into the mind of a ghost and truly get to know one. It was the opportunity of a lifetime... and he felt himself drawn to her for other reasons as well.

Danny walked down the sidewalk with his books in hand, a slight smile on his face as he approached the door of his best friend, Samantha Manson, and knocked. She opened the door, blinking when she saw his expression. "Wow, you look like you just got a kiss." Sam smirked. Danny sighed wistfully and put a hand to his cheek, prompting Sam to blink. "You... you didn't, did you?"

"Uh-huh." Danny smiled absently.

"Whoa... um, I'm happy for you." Sam smiled, her face almost cracking from the force of it as she stepped outside. "Spare me the details and let's get to school, alright?" She turned and walked away from him stiffly, her fists clenched. Danny was too distracted to notice anything wrong as he turned to follow, still rubbing his cheek with one hand and staring at the back of Sam's head like it wasn't even there.

They walked in silence until finally Sam seemed to snap. "Okay, who was it and how did it happen?" She demanded forcefully.

"I met her last night. Her name's Crystal." Danny smiled absently again. "We got to talking and well, I think I really like her."

"That's what you said about Valerie too and look how that ended." Sam sneered. Danny stared at her a moment, then frowned angrily. Sam raised her hands defensively. "Wow, okay, I'm sorry, a little too soon I guess." Sam blushed. Danny simply nodded, staring at her. "Well, how did you meet? I thought you had a ghost emergency to take care of, doesn't leave time for flirting."

"Well... I kind of met her... in the Ghost Zone." Danny said. Sam stared at him, her jaw dropping open like she simply didn't have the strength to hold it up.

"A ghost? You kissed a ghost? Danny, I know you're on the rebound from Valerie, but this is just insane! Ghosts try to hurt you with the powers and the evil, you can't have a relationship with one." Sam complained.

"Hey, not all ghosts are evil Sam!" Danny exclaimed.

"Every single one of them has tried to kill you or take over the world! Even the ones who are merely stupid are destructive!" Sam shouted back.

"I'm a ghost and I'm not evil!" Danny countered.

"You're not a ghost! You're my friend!" Sam shot back.

"I'm a friendly ghost!" Danny shouted. "And if I can be a friendly ghost, who's to say there can't be others? Maybe the evil ones are just the ones that bother to come out of the Ghost Zone! If we went in there and met some people, maybe we could find more who are pretty, nice, sophisticated, and pleasant to talk to!" He glared at her, his fists clenched at his sides and shaking slightly. Sam looked down at his hands, then looked back up at him. Danny blinked and looked down, his fists relaxing.

"Can ghosts be friendly?" Sam said darkly as she turned her back to him. "Sometimes I wonder." She walked away quickly, leaving Danny staring after her.

"Sam, wait, I..." Danny moved to follow, then slowed and came to a stop, looking down at the sidewalk. Everyone got angry, it wasn't because he was a ghost. He wouldn't have hit her, he didn't even mean to do it. It just sort of happened. With a sigh he turned to take another route to school, stuffing his hands in his pockets. Ghosts weren't inherently evil. He wasn't evil... neither was Crystal.

He stopped suddenly when his breath caught in his throat, a puff of blue smoke emanating from his mouth. He whirled when he heard a massive impact from a nearby alley, coupled with yelps and grunts as if someone was locked in combat. "Well, at least I'll have something to take out my frustrations on... not that I like being violent or anything."

He rushed into the alley, his body shifting as he ran until he emerged from the top of the alley in a suit of black and white, his eyes glowing green. He floated over the buildings until he spotted the disturbance, Freakshow's old mind controlled cronies fighting what looked like a pre-teen girl. Even more amazing than this was that the girl appeared to be putting up a decent fight.

Until the Strong Man managed to pin her up against the wall and knock her through it, of course. That she survived was a definite clue that there was more to this than he knew, but he wasn't about to let her get wasted by a bunch of ghosts, no matter what was really going on. He vanished from sight, his body fading into intangibility as he phased through the building, plunging down several stories until he came out of the roof of an empty hotel room where the girl was sliding away from the gathering ghosts.

"This is all a misunderstanding really..." The girl said nervously as she slid away from them. She wasn't bad looking, with long black hair tinged pink and an oriental skin color, with small brown eyes and a flat stub of a nose. "I'm not here to hurt you, I'm here to release you from your eternal wandering."

"How sweet." The Tattoo Freak said in a dark hiss. "Then maybe we should return the favor by freeing you from the pain of your flesh." She opened her cloak, as the Strong Man stepped forward, the midget riding on his shoulders while the serpent-lady pulled her hands into a pair of razor sharp blades.

Danny had enough, he wouldn't let this happen. "Get back!" Danny threw himself forward suddenly, becoming visible just before he slammed into the freaks, knocking them all back out into the alleyway. He landed in a heavy crouch, his fists glowing with green ecto-energy. The circus ghosts quickly rose to their feet, facing him in their own combat stances. "Just back off and there doesn't have to be a fight here."

"Move aside ghost-child, she attacked us." The Tattoo Freak insisted angrily. "And we will not stand for that insult!"

"I'm the hero here, I'll deal with her." Danny said more calmly. "Just go and let me handle it, get back to your 'lives', or whatever you'd call them. Just don't let me catch you fighting anyone else."

The Tattoo freak growled deep in her throat, but her stance relaxed when Danny saw the girl step up beside him in the hole in the wall. She let her cloak fall back around her shoulders, covering her body. "Very well ghost-child, we'll leave her to you. But we will not stand for another of these insults." Danny nodded and the Tattoo Freak gestured to the other ghosts as she turned to leave. They all walked toward one of the other walls, fading from sight as they went.

When they were gone Danny turned to look at the girl, crossing his arms over his chest. "Okay, do you want to explain your side of what happened here?"

"What are you, my father?" The girl rolled her eyes and moved past him, walking toward a corner of the alley. She knelt down to retrieve something, giving it a long curious look. Danny could see a bit of red light coming from around, but she soon stuck it in a pocket and rose to her feet again, brushing herself off. She turned back to him again, looking more composed than she had a moment ago. "Look, I didn't mean to be rude, but you don't have to be so mean about this."

"Hey, I don't really like it when people pick fights with ghosts. It makes me have to fight and I'm not a violent person." Danny replied. "What did you think you were doing?"

"You're a ghost, aren't you?" The girl asked suddenly.

Danny was caught a bit off-guard by this sudden question. "Huh? Yeah, are you gonna pick a fight with me now?" Danny asked.

"No no." The girl replied quickly. "I don't want to fight... but what is it like?" She asked. Danny stared at her cluelessly. "Being a ghost, with nothing but hope for a future that will never come, an endless futile search. That can't be a pleasant thing to go through." She said softly. Danny had never thought of that before, hadn't known anything about that. Was that what ghosts were? If it was... what did that make him? Were they simply mindless thing searching for something unattainable? He didn't feel like that... Crystal didn't seem like that. "That's why I'm here. I don't want ghosts to have to search anymore. I want them to rest."

Danny thought about it, then turned away from her. "You don't know anything about ghosts." He said in a quick growl. "They're a lot more than you think, a ghost isn't mindless, they have lives, personalities. They're people..."

"They're people whose time has passed." The girl told him serenely. "They need to move on." Danny looked down at his own hands. Was his time passed too...? Did he die in that accident? What about everyone he knew, his friends family... what about Crystal? "Please, will you help me?"

"Forget it." Suddenly Danny vanished from sight and took off into the air, leaving the girl far behind as he streaked through the sky. No, she was wrong. He wasn't mindless, or single-minded, and his time wasn't passed. But he WAS a ghost... did that mean those in the Ghost Zone were also more than mere lives that had passed long ago? They had thoughts, feelings, dreams and ambitions. They were so much more than 'ghosts'.

Danny forced the thoughts out of his mind, heading straight toward school. He was already late by the time he got there and transformed back into his human self, rushing inside and running through the empty halls, taking a few shortcuts through the lockers and walls to reach his classroom in short order. He took his chiding and sat down to wait out the rest of the school day, occasionally glancing over at Sam, who didn't look back.

When school let out Danny darted out of the school, vanishing once he was out of sight to fly back to his house, heading straight down through it to the basement, where he quickly opened the Fenton Portal and floated through into the infinite spectral realm beyond. He glanced around quickly and moved through the space. She was supposed to be here by now. He really needed to speak to her, please don't let her bail.

"Welcome, Danny Phantom." He whirled when he heard the sweet dulcet voice from behind him. Crystal floated toward him, her green eyes glittering. "I have been waiting with an anxious heart."

"Hey." Danny smiled gratefully. For a moment he was sure it was either a trick or a trap... he was just getting paranoid. Just because she was a ghost didn't mean she was out to get him.

She seemed to see his doubt, her expression turning worried. "Is something the matter?"

"You said you've been around a while, right?" Danny asked. Crystal nodded. "What exactly are ghosts? What is this place?" Danny gestured to the Ghost Zone, his arms sweeping out in a broad motion. Crystal looked around, then gazed at him in confusion. "What are ghosts... are they just... just memories that don't feel or... anything?" Danny's arms fell to his sides.

Crystal's eyes flashed in understanding and she nodded. "I see. We ghosts are simply what we are, nothing more, and nothing less."

"But... but where do you come from? What is your purpose?" Danny asked. "Are you just wandering emotionlessly until you find rest?"

"We could ask the same of the humans." Crystal replied. "Are you simply creatures that wander only to die?"

"But humans eventually do die. Ghosts don't... so you just wander for eternity. Is that really something worth doing?" Danny asked.

"I don't know. Sometimes I ask myself that question as well." Crystal replied, turning to gaze absently into the depths of the Ghost Zone. "I've been here for a long time, since before the Ghost Zone. And even I cannot answer that question." She turned back to him, staring into his eyes. "We merely... exist, Danny. That is all I can tell you with any certainty."

"Are you happy?" Danny asked bluntly. Crystal stared at him for a moment, then turned away to look at the Fenton Portal. She didn't answer for a long time, her hands clutched behind her back. Danny waited patiently, his arms hanging at his sides as she seemed to be staring into the abyss of some unknowable creature, trying to wrestle some great truth from its iron grasp.

At last she shook her head and turned back to him. "I truly do not know. But I do know that I wish to be with you longer." She floated over to him with a gentle smile on her face.

"Really?" Danny smiled and blushed slightly as the ghost moved up close to him.

"Yes... I have always been so lonely... you make that pain go away." Crystal told him softly and moved up against him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head on his shoulder. Danny looked down at her in surprise, then looked up.

"Make the pain go away...?" He said softly. He closed his eyes and put his hands on her shoulders, gently pushing her away. She looked at him in surprise, her eyes going wide. "Crystal, is that really all this is? Am I just a vessel for this ghost-mission you have? Someone you can cling to, to try to fulfill this ghostly desire of yours?" Crystal stared at him in surprise, then her eyes softened.

"I truly do not know." She told him. Danny let his hands loosen on her arms, sliding down to his sides. "For my long years of wandering... it seems I have few answers."

"I see..." Danny turned away from her slowly, looking down at his hands. They glowed softly white like a strange shimmer, like all ghosts tended to. So unnatural. "Maybe ghosts really are just mindless, tortured souls..." He clenched his fists tightly. "Maybe she was right..."

"Danny?" Crystal asked.

"I need to go... goodbye." Danny turned and flew out of the Fenton Portal, turning to watch as the thick doors closed behind him. He stared at the thick door for a moment, then turned intangible and flew through the several stories of the Fenton Works building, emerging into the waning light of evening. He'd spent longer in the Ghost Zone than he thought. It was possible she'd left already.

He streaked in and out of many buildings, flying through room after room, combing every hotel and back alley in Amity Park. He searched until he could feel his eyes becoming heavy, but he didn't give up, room after room, empty lead after empty lead, embarrassing social situation after embarrassing social situation. He combed half the city well into the night, still searching until finally he spied her from across the street through a window, her slender form limp on a bed, her chest gently rising and falling in a sleeping pattern.

He floated over to the window, placing his hands on the window around where her face appeared. She knew about the ghosts, and she seemed to want to help them. And maybe she was right... maybe the ghosts were just miserable, single-minded spooks looking for their life's dream. They couldn't really have hearts, after all... not with what some of them wound up doing. Even Crystal didn't really know love, just a desire for it.

Danny put his hands on the bottom of the window and slid it up slowly, sliding up onto it and swinging his legs inside, perching on it and watching her sleep. A gentle wind was blowing in the night, flowing past him to push the girl's long black hair gently across her face. She stirred slowly, a small groan escaping her lips as her eyes opened, reflecting the light of the moon to look almost mystical.

"Huh...?" The girl sat up quickly in surprise, staring up at him. "You? What are you doing here?"

"How do you know about the ghosts here?" Danny asked curiously, probing for any warnings that he couldn't trust her. "What do you know about them?"

The girl glanced down at a dog sleeping soundly beside her, then looked back up at him again with a more focused look on her face. "I know about them because it's part of my mission here. I want to lay them to rest after their long journeys... I told you this before."

"And who are you?" Danny asked curiously. The girl seemed to hesitated a moment, but when she answered it was with confidence and conviction.

"Juniper Lee... my friends call me June." She told him. "And you are...?"

"Phantom." Danny replied. "Danny Phantom." He held out his right hand to her for her to take, watching her face. She glanced down at it in surprise. "Come with me, and I can take you to where the ghosts hide." The girl looked up at his face again in surprise, her brown eyes shining in the light of the moon.

"You want to help me now? Why the change?" Juniper asked.

Danny choked up a bit as he spoke, realizing what this could mean for himself, Crystal, and his entire family, but if it was for the best, he would go through with it. "Because I think you may be right... they... we... need to rest." Juniper glanced back at the sleeping dog again for a moment, then turned back to him with a determined look on her face and gripped his hand. He threw himself back off the windowsill, dragging her through the wall with him to take flight through the night.

"Yaaargh!" Juniper flailed underneath him for a moment, almost pulling him off balance, but he held himself steady until she calmed down. He didn't stop to appreciate the view, with too much on his mind. So he flew straight for Fenton Works, diving straight into the ceiling and down through several floors to the basement, where he came to a stop and landed, placing Juniper beside him.

"What is this place?" Juniper asked breathily, looking around the lab. "It's so... cold and metal."

"Yeah well, it's the best place to make something like this." Danny approached the Fenton Portal and the doors began to slide open, revealing the swirling green vortex of the Ghost Zone. He heard Juniper's footsteps as she moved up to stand beside him, looking into the vortex in wonder. Suddenly Danny was blinded by a red flash, and looked over to see her holding a ball in her hands that was glowing brightly. "What is that?" Danny asked.

"It's my Spirit Orb." Juniper replied simply. "It detects ghosts and puts them to rest, but I didn't know it could get like this. There has to be hundreds, maybe thousands of ghosts in there."

"It wouldn't surprise me." Danny replied, covering his eyes with one hand to protect them from the intense glow. "The Ghost Zone is where ghosts go. They used to all be trapped in there until my d... I mean... an inventor decided to build this portal and accidentally let them out."

"Is that a fact..." Juniper said thoughtfully. Danny glanced over at her when she finally stuck the orb back in her pocket, dulling its shine. "I think I have to get to the center of this Ghost Zone. From there I should be able to neutralize it and let all of the poor souls rest." Danny stared at her a moment, then looked at the swirling vortex again. He wasn't sure he wanted to do this, he knew what it would mean... but no more ghosts. No more threat, and no more aimless wandering and suffering. "You okay?"

"I'm fine." Danny gripped her wrist firmly in one of his hands. "Center of the Ghost Zone... where else would a king put his throne?" Danny plunged into the Ghost Zone, yanking Juniper in after him and flying through the empty green space. He went straight there, knowing the path well enough by now. Past the endless sea of doors and through the spectral energy until it hove into view. The massive castle that once belonged to the king of ghosts. Pariah's Keep.

"You coming in?" Juniper asked. Danny thought about it, but really, what would he do? Stand by and watch while she obliterated the Ghost Zone.. and took him with her? Watch and wait until he found out truly, once and for all, whether he was dead or alive. He could simply cease to exist, and he would only sit and wait for it to happen. No, he would prefer to not see it coming.

"No..." Danny replied finally. "I don't think I can. I need to go... do something." He turned away quickly and pushed off from the landmass, floating through the Ghost Zone and not looking back. He floated aimlessly, not really wanting to get anywhere except away from the castle. His life would possibly be over in a matter of minutes, along with the 'lives' of everyone here. It was for the best... it would keep the world safe and put these beings out of their misery.

He blinked when he realized the doors around him were shifting faster than normal, drifted through the Ghost Zone ever faster until they became blurs, whirring around him like arrows. Danny whirled in alarm, watching the doors shift until once again they began to slow, and resumed their slow drifting as if nothing had ever happened. His eyes continued to dart back and forth, looking for any danger.

A large wooden door slowly swung open before him, showing two portly ghosts inside, one lying on a table while the other hovered over her. Danny slowly floated forward, pushing the door open further and entering the room. The Box Ghost was hovering over the shoulder of the Lunch Lady, his normally angry eyes looking with surprising tenderness at a small bundle in her arms.

"Isn't she so sweet?" The Lunch Lady asked in a sweet voice.

"The world should beware!" the Box Ghosts exclaimed. "She will become the most fearsome ghost in all existence!" He proclaimed to the Ghost Zone. Danny blinked and slowly floated closer, watching the small bundle. Strangely, neither ghost seemed to realize he was there, all of their attention on the bundle. He drew closer as the Lunch Lady gently moved the blanket aside.

"Our sweet little Box Lunch..." The Lunch Lady said as the glowing green face of a baby girl appeared in the blanket. Danny's eyes went wide, the realization suddenly dawning on him. The ghosts couldn't be mere ended lives... because they could still give birth to new lives. They weren't just dead people, they were living things with their own world and their own way of existing.

Which meant Juniper Lee was about to commit mass genocide. "Oh man... what have I done?" Danny shouted as he whirled to leave, but found the door gone. He whirled again and found that the images of the Box Ghost and the Lunch lady had faded as well, replaced with Pariah's Keep floating peacefully through the void, though the large double doors were open. "I've got to stop her!" 


	2. Chapter 2

Danny flew quickly toward the castle, darting through the open doors. He could see the powerful red light of June's Spirit Orb shining from the throne room just inside. He charged through the front chamber, a powerful bolt of energy gathering in the palm of his hand. "No!" He screamed as he hurtled into the throne room. He landed on both feet, hurling the blast at the pulsing orb.

Juniper yelped as the bolt struck home, throwing the orb across the room to bounce off the wall and roll to the floor. The girl clutched her burning arm in pain and whirled on him, her expression one of shock. "I made a mistake." Danny told her firmly. "I won't let you destroy the ghosts."

"What are you talking about? You led me here, you know this is for the best." Juniper turned toward him.

"I thought that, but I was wrong!" Danny replied forcefully. "The ghosts aren't dead people or memories, they're living, breathing things!"

"You have a very broad definition of the word 'life'." June quipped.

"And it just got broader. Look, listen to me, I saw a ghost have a child." Danny said. Juniper raised one eyebrow, lowering her arms to her sides. "And anything that can give birth to new life can't be a dead memory, it just can't." He stared into her narrowing eyes, pleading with her to just let it go. "You can't wipe them out. Sure they're different from us, but they still deserve to exist."

For a long time Juniper did nothing, staring at him with her hands at her sides. Finally with what almost looked like a sigh of regret she shifted slightly into a fighting stance. "It is my duty." She said firmly.

Danny closed his eyes and shook his head. He was sure she would understand, how could she not? Did she really not get it, or was it just so much easier to close her eyes and do as she was told? "Fine." He said as he shifted as well, his fists clenching and glowing with ghost energy. "Then it's my duty to stop you."

They faced each other for a moment, his eyes locked on Juniper's as the ghost energy swirled through his hands, growing in intensity. Danny made the first move, his legs forming into a ghostly tail to propel him toward her at full speed. In the blink of an eye he was on her, his glowing fist hurtling toward her face to end this fight in one ecto-powered blow.

Juniper Lee's speed shocked him as her arm cut the air in an upward motion, grabbing his wrist while her other fist slammed into his gut, both arms hurling him straight over her head in one clean motion. Danny found himself hurtling through the air to slam into the wall, the impact jarring his head before he fell to the ground with a heavy thump. He grunted and sat up slowly, rubbing his head.

He barely recovered before he noticed her flying through the air toward him, her leg lashing out. Danny whipped to the side quickly as the kick slammed into the wall, his fists pulsing with ghost energy that he fired straight into her chest at point blank range, sending her flying back into the center of the room. Danny took off after her before her back even touched the ground and was on her before she had time to reorient.

He landed a clean uppercut to her jaw, sending her hurtling up into the air in a vertical spin. Danny's legs faded once again into a ghostly tail as he flew underneath her, moving ahead of her where his legs reformed. She hurtled straight into him, but he didn't stop her. His hands gripped her shoulders while his foot jammed into her back while he whirled to send her hurtling face-first into the wall at top speed.

Slowly Juniper's body fell from the indent in the wall and hit the ground blow. She lay on her stomach, panting and struggling to pull herself up. Danny floated down slowly and landed in front of her, putting his hands on his hips. Juniper's brown eyes soon rose to meet his. "You don't care at all, do you? You just want to butcher them." Danny accused angrily.

"I trust Monroe... and he says this is best." Juniper pushed herself up slowly to her hands and knees, though he doubted she remained a threat at this point.

"Why don't you think for yourself?" Danny suggested authoritatively. "You've got to see that whoever told you that is wrong."

Juniper's expression suddenly grew furious, her brown eyes flashing in anger. "I won't disgrace the name of the past Te Xuan Zes. I won't!" Suddenly June leapt from the ground with a strength Danny didn't think she had left. Danny lunged after her, but with that agonizingly quick speed June sent a vial flying toward him. Danny smashed it with a quick ecto-blast, but a stream of gas flew into his face.

Danny coughed and sputtered, struggling to clear his throat, but even as he did that he realized a bigger problem. The world around him was fading from green to black. He didn't have time to react or even worry before the blows started. He had no idea where he was as blow after blow landed on his stomach, chest and face, battering him in every direction.

Suddenly Danny found himself hurtling through the air. His back slammed into something, which shattered, sending him stumbling further down onto the hard ground to rest up against something massively solid. He panted and groaned in pain, pushing himself up slowly. The darkness was beginning to recede, the world around him slowly returning to view.

"I'm sorry." He heard Juniper's voice as a pair of footsteps slowly moved through the room, growing louder with each step. He turned his head to see the vague blurs shifting about. "I'm not here to hurt anyone, and it's obvious you need to rest." The footsteps grew louder and closer as Danny slowly pushed himself up to his feet, the blurs growing sharper with each second. He saw Juniper raise the powerfully crimson orb in front of her in one hand. "Rest in peace, Danny Phantom."

A powerful green energy flowed from the orb straight toward Danny. With a grunt Danny hurled himself into the air to avoid it, flying straight over it and coming down once it had passed, landing heavier than normal but ready to continue the battle. He raised his hands to his sides, but found that Juniper was no longer looking at him, but beyond him. It was then that he heard the groaning.

He turned around slowly, then jumped back in shock as the Sarcophagus of Eternal Sleep began to crack, lines of green ecto-energy appearing in the surface, to quickly change to red as an enraged howl split the air. Danny whirled on juniper, his eyes going wide. "June. Run." He told her. She didn't even have time to however before a thunderous explosion rocked the castle, pieces of the sarcophagus flying in every direction. Danny put up his arms to protect himself, unable to go intangible in the Ghost Zone.

As the explosion died down he lowered his arm, looking amid the shattered remnants of the sarcophagus to see what he'd feared standing there, his horned head looking triumphant. "Even eternal sleep cannot contain me." The king of all ghosts, Pariah Dark, stepped out of the rubble, his massive boot steps causing the entire place to tremble. His massive arms stretched outward as he arched his back, a thunderous crack echoing through the throne room.

His gaze turned toward them, but to Danny's surprise they looked right past him at June, who was watching this spectacle with a strangely calm expression on her face. "I recognize that power." Pariah Dark growled demonically, his fists clenching. "The Te Xuan Ze... but you are a mere child. Is this truly the best that the most powerful line of mystical warriors has left?" He let out a thunderous laugh, clutching his stomach mirthfully. "How the mighty have fallen."

"Oh yeah? I'll show you who's fallen!" Danny jerked in surprise when Juniper charged past him straight at the king of ghosts.

"No! Don't!" Danny cried out. The girl ignored him however, leaping far higher than any normal human could, whirling through the air as her leg came around like a club. Pariah Dark pulled his arm in, then whipped it out again, clutching his massive mace with both fists. There was a sickening crack as the massive end slammed into Juniper's body, sending her hurtling through the air like a rag doll.

"JUNE!" Danny screamed just before she slammed into the far back wall, breaking right through it to vanish into the depths of the Ghost Zone. Danny ran to follow, but the ball of Pariah Dark's mace broke the ground right in front of him, bringing him to a screeching halt. Slowly he turned his gaze upward, seeing the ghost king's gaze now focused squarely on him.

"Don't think I've forgotten you, child." Pariah Dark grinned evilly. Danny gulped and backed slowly away from him. He'd only barely bested the ghost king before with the Fenton Ecto-Skeleton, and even then he'd only been able to contain him, not defeat him outright. Of course, now Pariah Dark lacked his magical armaments, but Danny wasn't crazy enough to face him like this regardless.

He tried to turn and fly away, but in a burst of flames Pariah Dark vanished and reappeared in front of him, the mace still clutched in one massive hand. Danny came to an abrupt halt and turned the other way, with similar results. "Where is my Crown of Fire?" Pariah demanded angrily. "Where did you put it?"

"I'm never telling you!" Danny retorted as heroically as he could. He'd managed to knock the Crown of Fire off of his head during their last battle, taking away the power the two magical objects, the Crown of Fire and the Ring of Rage, had given him. Of course, he wasn't about to let such a dangerous artifact lie around. He'd hidden it where hopefully nobody would ever find it.

"You will tell me, child." Pariah Dark raised one massive hand, a ball of searing flames erupting in his palm. "Even if it takes the rest of eternity to pry it out of you." Danny howled as the flames arced out toward him, burning into his body and throwing him up against the far wall. Danny fell to the ground with a grunt, his body smoldering from the intense blast.

Danny groaned and looked up, his body shuddering as the king of ghosts loomed large over him. "Fortunately, I don't mind if it does take all eternity." He grinned and raised one large boot, bringing it down right on top of him with a thunderous crash. The next stretch of time faded into nothing, one thing after another, pain building upon pain until he wasn't sure he could stand it. He didn't recognize what was happening, nor did he want to remember. He didn't know how long it was, the roaring pain was all he knew, along with the object that the ghost king was after. The object that could free him from this torture.

"OKAY!" Danny screamed at last through the pain and tears, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. Pariah Dark stood over him victoriously, his arms crossing over his chest. "Okay... I'll... tell you..." Danny panted in defeat. The ghost king waited expectantly until Danny spoke again. "Casper High... It's buried underneath the football field bleachers..."

"Excellent, child." Pariah grinned. "Now in return... I will put an end to your suffering." He raised the massive spiked scythe above his head and brought it down quickly like a hammer, smashing him into the floor. Danny had had enough, the constant torture had turned his body into a pain-wracked mess of bruises and gashes. He fell unconscious, the darkness finally prevailing over him.

It seemed like a mere moment, an instant passing in the blink of an eye before suddenly he was very aware of his own lungs beginning to draw breath. He heard a soft, meek voice speak from above him. "D... Danny?" His sister's voice was trembling and he could feel a hand touching his cheek. He opened his eyes slowly with a pained groan, looking up into his sister's shining emerald eyes.

"Jazz...?" Danny said softly, barely able to speak without his throat feeling like it was on fire. He couldn't even move his neck, his entire body felt like it was slowly falling apart as he lay there. "I feel like crap..." Was the only was he could think to describe it, though it really was a dramatic understatement.

Jasmine's face broke into a grateful smile as her arms wrapped gently around his neck. "Don't speak. Here, we have to get you home to rest." She slowly pulled him up from the ground, careful not to aggravate his wounds. Danny leaned heavily against her, wrapping one arm around her shoulders and trying to block out the pain, though this last part proved completely impossible.

Danny blinked in surprise when he felt a slightly smaller body moved up against his other side, wrapping his arm around another pair of shoulders. Danny looked over to see Juniper holding his other arm, looking at him with a gentle smile on her face. Danny looked down at himself, his normal white shirt and blue jeans clearly giving away his secret. He looked back over at her, his heart sinking in his chest.

"Don't sweat it." Juniper spoke in a surprisingly soft voice. "You're safe with me." Danny stared at her still, but said nothing. He didn't know what to think, so he simply remained quiet as Juniper and Jazz pulled him toward the Spectra Speeder, which he now saw parked in the middle of the throne room. Juniper helped him into one of the seats in the back while Jazz headed into the cockpit and piloted them through the Ghost Zone.

Eventually they reached the basement of Danny's home, the Fenton Works building. They climbed out of the Spectra Speeder with Danny still leaning against the two girls for support, his legs feeling like so much dead weight.

"We should get you upstairs to rest." Jazz said worriedly as his knees buckled slightly.

"No." Danny replied instantly with as much force as he could muster. "Pariah Dark's on his way to get the Crown of Fire... if he gets it, it's over." He pushed away from the two girls, trying to head out to stop him. But his knees buckled instantly and he fell back against the side of the Spectra Speeder with a heavy thump, sliding down it until he was sitting on the ground next to it.

Juniper spoke up in a moment. "Jasmine's right, you need to rest." She said. Danny looked up at her. "My spell can only recharge your spirit, it can't heal your wounds."

"Why do you care?" Danny snapped. "You were trying to destroy all of us ghosts not thirty minutes ago." June winced slightly as if physically stung, but her brown eyes were firm when she spoke again.

"And I was wrong." June said firmly. "Danny, I didn't know any of this. I didn't know you were... well... alive." She sighed and let her hands hang at her sides, meeting his angry gaze. "That's not a good excuse, but it's the truth. And I'm sorry I tried to take you out... heck I'm sorry I came here. I thought it was my duty as the Te Xuan Ze..."

"This 'Te Xuan Ze' duty includes murder?" Danny asked bitterly.

"No. It doesn't." June said, taking a deep breath. "Even if it did... it doesn't anymore." She turned her back to him, her long black hair swinging behind her hips. "This will be the birth of a new Te Xuan Ze code, where ghosts are given the same treatment and respect as the rest of the magical world. A code that strikes down persecution and bias in all its forms, where ghosts don't have to hide in a hidden pocket dimension away from the rest of the world."

Danny scratched his head slightly. "Hey, don't go too far. I've dedicated my life to keeping the ghosts IN the Ghost Zone." Danny said. "A lot of them aren't very nice."

"Oh... Then I promise not to attack the good ones." June said as she turned away from him again.

"Like you'd know the difference, crazy loon..." Danny grumbled under his breath.

"Now you rest up and relax. I'll go take care of this Pariah Dark guy. He won't catch me off-guard again." June announced to the world. Then she paused a moment and leaned over to Jazz to whisper something in a hushed tone. Jazz pointed and she stood up straight again. "Right. Just sit tight and let the Te Xuan Ze do her thing!" She bolted out of the house, throwing the door open and vanishing out into the streets.

"What is a Te Xuan Ze anyway?" Jazz asked.

"Probably Crazy Talk for 'lunatic'." Danny growled and pushed himself up to his feet slowly, his legs shaking.

"Come on Danny, don't be too hard on her. She saved your life." Jazz told him gently. Danny looked at her, then sighed and looked away, still leaning back against the Spectra Speeder. "Come on, let's get you into the living room to rest." She puts her arms around his torso and helped him hobbled toward the steps, his shaking legs burning with pain on every step. She was almost carrying him by the time they reached the top.

"Seriously, I should be the one to go face Pariah Dark. I've beaten him before, and if he gets his hands on that crown... what if she can't stop him?" Danny asked.

"Well you're in no condition to fight, Danny." Jasmine lectured him as she pulled him toward the couch and dropped him on top of it. She stood up straight and looked down at him with her hands on her hips. "Now stay here while I go get you a nice refreshing glass of milk... and about fifteen ice-packs."

"I'll be looking forward to it." Danny said genuinely. Jasmine smiled and turned to head into the kitchen while Danny stared at the ceiling, feeling helpless. The minutes ticked past, the clock counting every second like it was an eternity and still Jasmine didn't return. Danny was starting to worry when he heard a voice speak from behind the couch in a soft, thoughtful tone.

"Such a curious question, with so many answers." Danny sat up and peered over the back of the couch to se Crystal floating serenely near the front door, looking out the window beside it. "The more I think about it, the more I wonder if the answers really matter at all. Hm... life is such a subjective thing anyway."

"What are you talking about?" Danny asked curiously.

"Life is ill-defined in many different ways. Some define it by growth, others by sentience, others by the presence of a soul. Ironic, in that case, that pure souls would be considered unliving, don't you think?" She looked over at him with a gentle humorous smile on her face.

Danny sat up and leaned against the back of the couch. "Um... yeah, I guess so." Danny replied thoughtfully. "What did you mean when you said the answer didn't matter?"

"Simply that we are what we are." Crystal replied. "Like everything in the universe. Or perhaps the key to life is something that is so often mistaken or overlooked... desire." She stared out the window, her expression becoming sad suddenly though there was nothing out there that Danny cold see. "Desire can change who we are, even as ghosts. It can turn us into great men... or damnable rulers."

"Pariah Dark?" Danny asked.

"He wasn't always this way... the dictator of the Ghost Zone. He was once our hero." Crystal's gaze turned thoughtful, her arms crossing over her stomach. "Centuries past, he was one of the strongest ghosts on the planet. He quickly rose to power among the ghostly ranks, but we had no place to hide then. The Te Xuan Ze hunted us down, one by one, destroying us a little at a time. We ran... but his powers were too great to resist."

"Only by stealing some of his weapons did Pariah Dark gain the power to stand against him, but he could not defeat him. They were locked in a stalemate for days until the Te Xuan Ze finally grew tired, and Pariah Dark escaped. He created the Ghost Zone and hid it inside a new dimension the Protector could not find, a place where we ghosts could hide and live in peace for all time."

"He became our king... and like so many rulers before him, he succumbed to the power. The people under him grew frightened of his increasingly malevolent attitude, until finally the ancient ghosts had to banish him to the Sarcophagus of Eternal Sleep." Crystal looked over at Danny. "If he destroys you and the Te Xuan Ze, he will be able to extend his reign freely into the human world, without fear."

"What am I supposed to do?" Danny asked grumpily. "I'm in no condition to fight."

"You must." Crystal turned toward him firmly. "I know you have the strength to do whatever is necessary Danny, you have always fought with the greatest strength born of courage rather than power. With you and the Te Xuan Ze working as one, you can defeat Pariah Dark. Trust yourself."

"I should tell Jazz..." Danny said softly.

"There is no time. Go, now. She needs you." Crystal pointed toward Casper high, hr arm sweeping grandly through the air. Danny stared at her a moment, then nodded and set his mouth in a grim line before his body flashed, remaking itself into that of a ghost before he flew through the wall to shoot into the air, one arm stretched out before him as he made his way toward Casper High.

The city looked the same as it always did, but in the distance he could see a flame burning brightly between a set of two horns. "Oh no..." Danny muttered to himself, knowing what it meant. Pariah Dark had found the Crown of Fire. Danny's legs formed together into a single ghostly tail as he flew, pushing himself faster than before, his hair flying back on his head.

He came to a stop for a moment to take in what was happening. Juniper slid down from the side of the Casper High wall to hit the ground with a heavy thud, her eyes closed and her limbs shuddering. She opened her yes as Pariah Dark slowly neared her, raising the ring on his finger toward her. Danny instantly vanished and flew into the ground, traveling underneath it toward where he knew June was lying on the ground.

His arms reached up and yanked her down into the solid ground just before he could feel the ground tremble with the ring's released power. Danny yanked June through the ground and up through the inside of Casper High, emerging on the roof where he released her, letting her sink to her knees, panting in pain. Danny knelt in front of her, watching her worriedly.

"Guess we're both out of our league..." Juniper quipped breathlessly.

"Only if we fight alone." Danny replied, recalling what Crystal had told her. "But I think if we work together we can take him down."

"I'm definitely open to suggestions." June said.

"Yeah, me too..." Danny said bashfully. June narrowed her eyes as Danny looked up pat her, seeing the massive black end of Pariah Dark's mace coming right down on top of them. He threw himself forward and tackled June, phasing them both through the building and carrying them down out of harm's way as the mace ripped straight through every floor of the school, practically cutting it in half.

Danny carried them through the school to the front lawn, setting them down again and standing in front of June. "Why don't you use your red orb thing?" Danny asked.

"I tried it. It didn't work. I need more power." June replied.

"Have any spare batteries?" Danny asked.

"Very funny." June smirked. "These artifacts are powered by my own magical energies, and my power is limited. But I guess I have to try... do you think you can keep him busy?" She stated.

"If there's one thing I can do, it's keep a ghost's attention." Danny quipped. They both winced as the front of the school split apart, Pariah Dark cleaving his way straight through the middle and stepping out the front toward them, a victorious grin on his face. His eyes went wide when he saw Danny standing on the lawn.

"You? I destroyed you. I felt the spirit flee your body." He growled.

"I'm not in the mood for the smart quips. Let's just get this over with!" Danny took off into the air, his fists pulsing with energy as ecto blast after ecto blast flew toward the ghost king. They bounced harmlessly off his armor, and Pariah Dark lashed out with his mace, but Danny darted out of the way, circling around his back and coming up behind his head.

Suddenly a jolt of energy surged through his body, throwing him back. "A sneak attack child? Such petty tricks. Your power cannot stand against mine." Pariah Dark grinned and raised his hand, inside which a burst of fire began to form.

"I've learned a few things since last time. Like this!" Danny puffed out his chest, taking a deep breath. The fireball pashed out toward him, burning white hot. But Danny released the pent up energy, a powerful wail splitting the air. The powerful sound blast hit the flames and they stalled each other out, each vying for dominance. Slowly Pariah Dark's power was pushed back, the Ghostly Wail winning out. Danny strained to maintain it, pouring every ounce of energy he had into it.

The flames died down, but the Ghostly Wail had drained his energy like a leech. His body shifted back to normal and he plummeted to the grass below, which he hit with a heavy thud. "Gugh..." He grunted and pushed himself up, shaking both from the drain and the wound he had from his last encounter with Pariah Dark. "Well... it was worth a shot."

He looked up as a massive boot hit the ground in front of him, seeing Pariah Dark sneering down at him victoriously. "This time, child. Stay dead." He raised his hand, which pulsed even brighter with power, aiming straight at him. Danny gasped when a lithe form tackled him from the side, carrying them both out of the way of the beam that ripped into the earth, tearing a chunk out of it and bringing almost the entire school crumbling to the ground.

Danny looked up as juniper climbed to her feet in front of him, a small collection of stones hovering before her outstretched hands as the beam swept toward them, ripping the Earth itself apart. A powerful field generated between the stones, blocking the beam, but Juniper howled almost in pain, closing her eyes. "I can't... hold it..." Juniper grunted under her breath. "Danny... run..."

"Neither of you will escape my wrath." Pariah Dark grunted, the power pouring forth with even more intensity now. Danny looked up at June, howling and struggling to hold the shield in place, her eyes squeezed shut in pain. This must be taking all of her power... meanwhile, he could feel his own strength returning after being drained by the Ghostly Wail. Hey... maybe he didn't take 'working as one' literally enough.

Danny climbed to his feet, clenching his fists. His body flashed into his ghostly form. His body went intangible and he threw himself forward, plunging straight into Juniper's body. He would Overshadow a normal human, but he felt a strange force inside this one. One that accepted him into its fold, molding his body and his energy to act in synch with its own natural forces.

Danny howled and the power of the jewels in front of him streamed forth straight through Pariah's beam, slamming into his head and knocking him back. Danny flew into the air with renewed strength, his body crackling with energy both ghostly and magical so intense green electrical streaks were running across his body. He threw one hand forward, a shining blue Ecto Blast ripping instantly through the air, ripping through Pariah's body and plunging into the street beyond.

"Gaagh!" The ghost king howled in pain, clutching his wound and falling to one knee. "This isn't possible! My power is made up of both ghostly power and magic!"

"So's ours!" Danny howled, his voice strangely mixed in with Juniper's. "And yours is thousands of years out of date! So kiss your butt goodbye!" He took in a deep breath, his fists clenching and the power welling up deep in his chest, almost exploding inside of him it was so intense. He thrust his arms out to the side and let out a Ghostly Wail, the powerful blue waves leaving visible ripples in the air, almost as it if could rip the air itself apart.

Pariah Dark tried to use his ring, but the ring itself shattered in a burst of green power, scattering uselessly to the ground as the wail ripped into the ghost king. His armor fell apart, shredding from his body as chunks of his horns and flesh peeled away. When the Ghostly Wail died down, Pariah Dark was lying back in the ruins of the street, which had been ripped to shreds by the force of the wail.

Danny landed in front of him, reaching into one pocket and pulling out the Spirit Orb. He looked up when he saw the beautiful form of the ghost Crystal floating toward the massive body, barely moving. She looked down at the ghost king, her eyes brimming with sadness.

"Crystal..." Pariah Dark's voice shuddered.

"Rest easy, my king." Crystal told him softly. "Forevermore." Danny waited a moment, then raised the Spirit Orb, a powerful green beam lashing out toward Pariah Dark. This time the energy enveloped his body, covering it like a blanket. The ghost king didn't look to be in any pain, in fact he almost looked serene as his body slowly began to dissolve, growing more transparent.

At last his body vanished completely, fading from sight and leaving only an imprint on the street to give any evidence that he'd ever existed. Danny looked up to watch Crystal land, then felt something shifting inside of him, a force driving his consciousness apart.

Danny fell out of June's body, falling to his knees on the ground. His head was spinning, but it quickly cleared and he looked up to see Crystal floating over to them serenely, her dress flowing in the wind behind her.

"I thank you both. A hero should rest when his time has passed." She told them with a soft smile.

Crystal turned toward June and walked up to her. "Te Xuan Ze. There is still so much you must face. Rest easy, but know that your journeys will not end for some time to come. Above all, you must rest well and fight smart. I know you have the strength to face what lies ahead." She looked over at Danny. "As do you, ghost-child. You will both face so much more... I wish it were not so, but there is no denying it." She turned away from them and approached the spot in the ground where the ghost king had faded. "In time, all of the Ghost Zone will fade... as all things must pass. But it is still worth fighting for." She lifted from the ground to float away, leaving the two heroes to stare after her.

Danny looked over at Juniper, who was looking back at him. "So..." Danny let his ghost form fade. "Wanna head back to my place?"

"I would, but I really should try to find Monroe and Ray-Ray." Juniper replied. "They're probably worried about me."

"So I guess this is goodbye then." Danny replied. He half-wished he could get to know the girl a bit more. After sharing a mind with her, he felt like there was a strangely intimate bond between them.

"Hmm... we'll see." Juniper smiled. "If what that ghost said is true, I think we may see each other again sooner than you'd think. And... I really am sorry I tried to, y'know, destroy you all."

"Hey, don't sweat it. You'd be amazed how often it happens, seriously." Danny and Juniper both chuckled lightly. "And I guess I learned something from all this. And getting rid of Pariah Dark once and for all isn't a bad thing. So... yeah." He trailed off, not sure what else he could say. Juniper merely gave him a tender smile.

"Yeah... take care of yourself, Danny." Juniper waved and turned to walk away.

"You too, Juniper." Danny waved after her.

"It's June." Juniper called back to him as she walked away. Danny watched her until she vanished from view, then turned to begin the walk back toward his home, pretending he had nothing to do with the complete destruction of Casper High and the surrounding grounds. It would be a while before they could go back to school. That was another positive side of June's attempted genocide of the ghostly race.

Danny landed in front of his house, looking up at it, then he paused a moment and looked back. He shook his head, then took off again, flying in the direction he'd seen Juniper head off to. He flew across the city, looking around until he spotted Juniper leaning up against the wall of a nearby hotel. He swooped down lower, landing in a nearby alley and turning back to his human form before emerging and walking over to her.

June glanced over at him as he approached. "Oh, hey. Did you forget something?" June asked.

"Not really... just wanted to see you off properly." Danny blushed and put one hand on the back of his neck. Her deep brown eyes looked at him curiously, one eyebrow lifting in confusion. "Hey, we have to stick together right? Te Xuan Ze and ghost-boy... so I dunno, I thought instead of just walking away we could keep in touch..." Danny reached into his pocket and took out a small note card, holding it out to her.

The black-haired girl took it from him and looked down at it, then looked over at him slyly. "Fenton, huh?" Danny blushed and coughed into one hand. "Sure... I'll keep in touch." She tucked the note card into one of her jeans pockets and flashed him a smile. Danny's heart leapt for joy and he wanted to respond, but he held back when he saw a little black-haired boy and a small dog emerge from the hotel.

The boy grumbled something to Juniper as he passed, continuing down the sidewalk. The dog rushed after him and barked. Juniper watched them go, then smiled at Danny and pushed off from the wall. She turned to approach him. "I'll definitely keep in touch." She put her hands on his shoulders and leaned in to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek and a smile. "Take care of yourself until then."

Juniper moved away from him one last time and turned to rush after the boy and the dog. Danny watched her go, jamming his hands into his pockets. When she was out of sight, he turned to make his slow way back home, careful not to exert himself with his wounds from the battle. What could the future possibly hold now? He had no idea, but it seemed like his chances of making it through had just tripled. Not to mention his chances at happiness...

THE END

"Te Xuan Ze and ghost boy together... good. The stage has been set for the clash of the worlds." Clockwork turned away from the dual images playing in his lair, putting his hands together in front of him as his middle-aged form shifted into that of a toddler. "We'll just see if they have what it takes to make it through the trials ahead." 


End file.
